Rebuilding Together New Orleans’ 26th Anniversary October Build To Revitalize Communities, Celebrate Milestone

By 9-29-16

NEW ORLEANS – During the first two weekends of October, more than 500 volunteers from 25 local teams will work on home repair projects for 9 low-income homeowners through Rebuilding Together New Orleans’ annual October Build presented by Chevron. This will be the 26th Anniversary of October Build, which started out as “Christmas in October” in 1988.

October Build teams have completed more than 1084 projects in 35 neighborhoods across the city and this community revitalization event has turned into a long-standing tradition for many local groups including Chevron, Junior League of New Orleans, Wells Fargo and Shell New Orleans who have participated since the beginning, organizers said.

Volunteers will be making critical repairs that will provide elderly, disabled, or veteran homeowners with safer and more energy-efficient homes.

“It’s amazing to see how our work has not only improved the lives of over a thousand deserving homeowners, but how the homes we worked on decades ago were preserved by volunteers and now are in thriving neighborhoods,” said Cat Crowell, Interim Director of Rebuilding Together New Orleans. “Because a few motivated locals wanted to make life better for their elderly neighbors and recruited sponsors who took a risk to make that initial investment, we now have an annual event that has been a vital to the success of New Orleans’ neighborhoods.”

“Chevron is proud of our long-standing partnership with Rebuilding Together," said Leah Brown, Public Affairs Manager for Chevron's Gulf of Mexico Business Unit. “Since 1988, we have supported them as they have laid the foundation for a brighter future. As they rebuild homes, they also rebuild lives and revitalize New Orleans communities. We invite everyone to join Chevron and our employees in participating in the October Build.”

From installing safe handrails and steps to wheelchair ramps, volunteers will make a lasting impact on homeowners who do not have the physical or financial ability to make critical repairs that will keep them safe and save them money on utility bills.

Some of Rebuilding Together New Orleans’ October projects include:

October 1: Gwendolyn has lived in her home for more than 20 years in Gentilly. As a 68-year-old she is so excited to have RTNO help her make improvements this weekend.

October 7: Ernest lives in the Bywater and has lived in his home for 30 years, since he returned from his deployment. As an Army Veteran with limited income, he was worried he was going to get pushed out of his neighborhood as it got revitalized. He’s so excited to now become part of that revitalization.

October 8: Lillie Mae is incredibly involved in her Hollygrove community, even at the age of 67. She is full of life and strength, having been a stone mason before she retired.

October 14: Jean lives near Freret and is the primary caretaker and POA of homeowner Tommy, who has developmental disabilities. The two are so excited for the renovations their home will receive.

October 15: The VFW Post on Lyon contains architectural items with historical significance. Because of this, RTNO is helping to restore and re-use some of these pieces to bring back the structure back to its former glory.